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In the 2024 United States general election, numerous Syracuse University students said they embraced the opportunity to vote in a presidential election for the first time.

National exit polls from NBC News, completed in 10 states, showed voters aged 18-29 made up 14% of the electorate in the 2024 election. This group leaned more Democratic than any other age group, with 54% casting their ballots for blue candidates.

Among voters, 8% reported that 2024 was their first time participating in an election.

Ben Martin, a junior advertising and entrepreneurship major, was among them. Instead of voting in Onondaga County, Martin said he opted for an absentee ballot in his home state of Virginia, a choice many SU students also made.

Martin said his decision was motivated due to Virginia’s swing state status. While all votes matter in the election, he said votes in swing states have a greater impact.

But, the process wasn’t without its challenges. Martin said he found Virginia’s absentee ballot application website complicated to use. He expressed concern that such barriers might deter rural and lower-income voters from registering or voting by mail.

“I feel like our government should put in more effort to clean up the website and have it work for voters,” Martin said.

Internet access remains an issue in Virginia, Martin said. According to Broadband Now, 13% of households in the state lack internet access entirely, while 38% of low-income households face the same challenge. These gaps further complicate efforts to ensure equal access to voting tools.

For some first-time voters, motivations to participate in the election came from external influences. For Connecticut native Will Waghorne, a junior studying economics and policy, family pressure was his primary reason for voting.

Though he Initially feeling “indifferent” about casting a ballot, Waghorne said his main concern lay with the U.S. government’s handling of the war in the Middle East, which led him to write in a protest vote.

“I felt like the Harris-Walz campaign was sort of a right-wing campaign,” Waghorne said. “I did feel as if it was kind of vindicating and that we need to start thinking differently about how campaigns are run if they’re not getting the results that people want.”

While Martin and Waghorne voted in their home states, junior Josh Richter took a different approach. A public health major from the Bay Area in California, Richter chose to cast his ballot in Syracuse instead.

Having switched his voter registration during his freshman year, Richter also participated in the midterm elections last November in Onondaga County. He voted in-person at SU’s Huntington Hall.

He said his motivation behind the switch was his desire to have an impact on the Syracuse community while studying at SU. Another key factor in his decision was the closely contested race for New York’s 22nd Congressional District. Richter said he hoped his vote would help flip the seat in favor of Democrat John Mannion, who ultimately defeated incumbent Republican Brandon Williams.

“The collection of (a candidate’s) history and multiple issues from each candidate (matter). I don’t choose because of one issue,” Richter said.

Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris sparked mixed reactions across SU’s campus. Many students expressed shock and confusion about the outcome, while others pointed to factors that may have contributed to the result.

Martin said he wasn’t very surprised by Trump’s win, highlighting his success in mobilizing young male voters and some racial demographics. He said Trump expanded his voting bloc and that Harris may “have not put herself out there as much as Trump did.”

In contrast, Richter said he was surprised by the race’s outcome. He said he didn’t expect such a large number of voters to support Trump.

Waghorne reflected on the challenges Harris faced during the race, particularly her late entry. She became the Democratic presidential candidate in July following President Joe Biden’s resignation and formally accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. Harris also faced the challenge of being tied to Biden’s low approval rating, which stands at 38%.

Martin said that, because many SU students live in a country where they can vote, he feels they should not forgo the privilege to do so.

“No matter whether you’re happy or not about the result of the election, it’s just important to get your voice out there,” Martin said.

Published on November 21, 2024 at 1:40 am

Contact Madeline: mmgoodhe@syr.edu